Boxing

Ariel Helwani Offers Rare Praise To Dana White As TKO Group Enters Boxing

Ariel Helwani speaks about Dana White and the TKO group entering the world of boxing.

Apratim Banerjee

IMAGO / Inpho Photography

Dana White and TKO Group are looking to shake up the boxing world. TKO group reached an agreement with Turki Alalshikh to create a new boxing promotion with the goal of changing the boxing landscape.

Ariel Helwani, meanwhile, is one of the most renowned combat sports journalists in the world. However, he doesn't share a cordial relationship with UFC CEO Dana White. The pair fell out a long time ago during Helwani's time as a reporter in the UFC.

Helwani, though, is all praise for White and TKO's entry into boxing. He believes the sport has lacked a single governing body for too long, something which could now come to an end.

Helwani said on his YouTube channel:

I understand what they're doing. It's going to take some time [but] there has never been, ever...a group that has come into combat sports with this power and this kind of money behind it. They have limitless funds. Those limitless funds are telling brilliant minds like Dana White, Nick Khan...'Here you go, run it for us.' There has never been a situation like this. If they don't succeed, it will be because of something internally...but they are set up to succeed off the jump. Netflix, ESPN right there for the taking.

Dana White has already hinted on making significant changes to the sport. Instead of having multiple belts like the WBO, WBA, EBC, IBF, and more in a single weight class, he wants to see one belt for which every top fighter will compete. This could potentially see top fighters locking horns against each other more often.

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Apratim Banerjee
APRATIM BANERJEE

Apratim is an experienced sports journalist and has covered Football, Boxing, MMA, and more for the past five years. He has worked for Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, and other publications. Apratim is currently pursuing an MSc. in Sport Marketing at Loughborough University London.